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Li Yuanli was undeniably a genius; there was no questioning that.
After activating Time's Cry Bankai, the power it granted could cast his enemies into chaotic temporal currents, forcing them to drift helplessly through the timelines of their own lives. But at the same time, it could also empower himself, pushing his strength to the absolute limit attainable at that moment.
What he wielded now was the extension of all his current power, the Time Force evolved to its ultimate peak.
Of course, this move came with an enormous drawback: consumption.
Every burst of this ultimate Time Force consumed his Reiatsu and stamina several times over, even tenfold. It was equivalent to borrowing power from his future self, forcibly dragging strength out of future timelines. Naturally, such a feat could never come cheaply.
And once his Reiatsu was exhausted, this ability would seal itself away, entering a cooldown period during which it could no longer be used.
But at this moment, he was unimaginably powerful!
His Reiatsu surged instantly to MAX!
His mastery over his skills and the destructive force they produced skyrocketed to MAX!
Even the degree of his Hollow mask transformation would, over time, reach MAX as well!
It could be said that the current Li Yuanli was his ultimate self, the strongest possible version of himself, a terrifying existence standing at the upper limit permitted within the realm of the Shinigami!
Across so many worlds, although Li Yuanli's talent had always been exceptional, he had forever been suppressed by the bug-like existence known as Qin Yi, relegated to second place. But now, he was finally radiating a brilliance that belonged solely to him.
That terrifying aura had already surpassed even the strongest state Qin Yi displayed in Hueco Mundo!
"So… so terrifying!!"
"How can he possibly be this strong?!"
The Shinigami of Nie Kingdom stared with flickering eyes, their expressions grave beyond measure.
They had never witnessed power like this before, never even sensed anything comparable.
"No… there is one. The guy imprisoned deep within the dungeons of Nie Kingdom, he's even stronger than this man before us!"
"But…"
The red-haired Shinigami pondered for a moment before finally shaking his head.
That person had been obtained only because King Chengdui had transformed himself into a once-in-a-lifetime talent opportunity. Yet the prisoner's continued refusal to cooperate had left them helpless.
It could be said that if that man had been willing to join Nie Kingdom and assist King Chengdui, they might have already surpassed the Starlight Civilization and stepped into the Moonlight Tier by now.
What a pity.
"Regardless, this man cannot be allowed to live. He is a massive obstacle to our king's path!"
"He must be killed here, no matter the cost!"
The red-haired Shinigami's gaze turned icy as he slowly raised a hand.
"Commander Akashi, your orders?"
"Deploy additional forces to surround the remaining targets. Eliminate them as quickly as possible!"
"Then commit fifty percent of our military strength against King Yuanli!"
"This King must die here!"
Akashi's voice was freezing cold, murderous intent erupting from his eyes.
"Yes, sir!"
The Shinigami immediately obeyed and rushed to relay the orders.
In the blink of an eye, the battlefield shifted. Kenpachi Zaraki, the Masked Legion, Urahara Kisuke, and the others all came under assault from even more Captains.
"This is getting seriously bad…"
Dodging another attack, Urahara Kisuke glanced down at his shoulder, where blood streamed continuously.
Individually, most of the enemy fighters were weaker than him, but they had overwhelming numbers, and more kept arriving.
The logic was simple: maybe you're an expert fighter, and against five people, you could beat any one of them senseless in a one-on-one fight. But in a five-versus-one brawl, they could just as easily beat you senseless instead.
That was exactly the frustration Urahara Kisuke's side was experiencing now.
As the battle rapidly continued, nearly everyone on their side had been injured. Fighting while heavily outnumbered also drained their stamina at an alarming rate. Several members of the Masked Legion had even had their masks shattered and were barely holding on.
The war was beginning to tilt overwhelmingly in one direction. Urahara Kisuke and the others looked close to collapse.
Except for Li Yuanli.
At this moment, his aura was exploding upward like a detonation, growing stronger, fiercer, more domineering by the second. Massive waves of Reiatsu radiated outward in all directions.
"AAAAAAAHHHH!!"
The exhilarating sensation of his swelling power made Li Yuanli throw back his head and roar. The sound had become warped with a metallic, inhuman quality, so intense that even the void itself trembled from the vibration.
"Crack… crack-crack!"
At that moment, even his body began to change. Pale white bones started forming across his surface.
"You're all going to die!"
Suddenly, Li Yuanli turned his head. Beneath the skeletal mask, his silver eyes locked fiercely onto a Shinigami of Nie Kingdom, causing the man's entire body to tense up.
Whoosh!
A violent shockwave exploded from where he stood, followed by the shrill scream of tearing air. Before the Nie Kingdom Shinigami could even react, his head had already been seized in an instant.
Through the narrow gap of his vision, all he could see were bone-white claws.
"Hiss…!"
The Shinigami sucked in a cold breath, true fear finally overtaking him.
Even as a Captain-class fighter, he felt tiny and insignificant before this power, overwhelmed with awe and terror.
BOOM!
In an instant, power erupted. Li Yuanli slammed his right hand downward violently, and before everyone's horrified eyes, smashed the Captain-class Shinigami straight into the ground beneath his feet. Dust exploded into the sky as the earth collapsed with countless spreading cracks.
"ROOOAAARRR!!"
Li Yuanli threw back his head and roared toward the heavens, as though venting something deep within himself.
Breaking beyond the limits of the Shinigami Realm and entering the world of Hollows forced the soul to endure overwhelming negative emotions. He needed to roar, to howl, to drive away the chaotic darkness invading his mind.
"Die! All of you, die!"
His silver eyes swept across the battlefield. Li Yuanli's figure flashed, and he began moving at terrifying speed.
Holding his Zanpakutō, he slashed toward the surrounding Captain-class Shinigami.
Completely unlike his previous fighting style, Li Yuanli now fought with wild, domineering swings. Empowered by overwhelming Reiatsu, every strike carried incomparably terrifying force.
BOOM!
Five consecutive strikes sent five figures flying violently into the distance, smashing through dozens of buildings and carving massive trenches across four streets.
Violent. Berserk.
Li Yuanli's power had completely erupted out of control, plunging him into a state of terrifying savagery.
"You think you can challenge me, King Yuanli?"
"Sorry about that!"
"In this entire world, the only one who can surpass me…"
"…is that brat Qin Yi!"
His tyrannical, domineering voice, laced with metallic distortion, echoed throughout the battlefield, making everyone tremble in fear.
At this moment, Li Yuanli had fully inflated with confidence. The overwhelming sensation of power flooding through him gave him indescribable exhilaration.
He strode forward, his pace accelerating from slow to fast as he charged directly into the army of the Nie Kingdom Shinigami.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Continuous explosions rang out one after another, causing Commander Akashi's expression to grow increasingly ugly.
The elites under his command were completely unable to stop Li Yuanli. Nearly a hundred Captain- and Vice-Captain-level experts together still could not even keep up with his speed.
Watching his own side suffer mounting casualties, Akashi could no longer endure it. His hand gripped the Zanpakutō at his waist.
"Then I shall personally test his strength!"
The long blade was slowly drawn.
As it emerged, clusters of silver light bloomed into existence, dazzling and brilliant, while the shining blade revealed itself before everyone's eyes.
"Blade of Sharpness… Awaken!"
"Let this King experience your edge!"
Stepping forward, Akashi's gaze became colder and colder.
At the same moment, Li Yuanli sensed that razor-sharp stare from behind him. He abruptly turned around.
Then he grinned, a savage smile like that of a beast.
"You want to become this king's opponent?"
"Then I'll cut you down!"
His figure flashed and vanished instantly.
The next second, Akashi's pupils contracted sharply as Li Yuanli suddenly appeared in the air directly before him.
Grinning ferociously, Li Yuanli raised his blade with one hand and slashed downward violently.
BOOM!
Akashi was blasted away by a single strike, tumbling violently across the ground and carving a trail nearly a thousand meters long.
The entire battlefield fell into shock and disbelief.
Li Yuanli laughed loudly, standing proudly amidst the battlefield as the aura of a King around him grew ever stronger.
This battle…
…was Li Yuanli's personal performance show!
This was his stage!
(End of Chapter)